Heel holder for heel-attaching machines



Feb. 3, 1942. .J. T. LANCASTER 2,271,561

HEEL HOLDER FOR HEEL-ATTACH ING MACHINES Fil ed May 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 Feb. 3, 1942. J. T. LANCASTER 5 I HEEL HOLDER FOR HEE'L'ATTACHING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 3, 1942 HEEL HOLDER FOR HEEL-ATTACHTNG MACHINES John '1. Lancaster, Newton, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 17, 1940, Serial No. 335,728

22 Claims against expansion a rubber lift and an upper.

holder, consisting of a pair of fingers between which a heel-base may be inserted for vertical registration with the lift in the ring. These fingers are forced toward each other by a spring, so they will grasp the base securely. In introducing a base, the operator must use some effort to separate the fingers by direct engagement with them. An object of this invention is to relieve the operator of the necessity for direct manipulation of such grasping members.

In the achievement of this object, with a nailing die and other elements of nail-driving mechanism and mechanism for transferring nails to the nailing mechanism, and a holder in which plural heel-sections are presented one above another for simultaneous attachment, and including members movable, to grasp a heel-section, I associate means movable under the influence of an element of the machine for separating the grasping members. This element for thus controlling movement of the members is'preferably included in one of the mechanisms which acts upon the nails, it being herein shown as a part of the nail-transferring mechanism. When, for example, the base-grasping fingers are separated in this manner as an incident to another act which the operator must perform, the effort required is negligible, and no thought need be given to it. In their open relation, the grasping members are latched against the action of a spring loaded by means movable under the influence of an element of the machine, and there is means for releasing them to close upon an applied heelsection. Both the separation of the members and their release is effected by means fixed relatively to the movable holder, the releasing means being preferably adjustable in position to permit the operator to vary the time at which the applied heel-section is grasped. With the grasping members or fingers, there is combined,.in the structure of the previously mentioned patent, means for adjusting their normal separation, and, as

shown herein, the separating means of the present invention engages this adjusting means. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention there is employed a rod connected to the fingers, together with the adjusting means for varying the extent of movement of saidrod, and means, as a lever, fulcrumed upon the carrier for the fingers and movable in engagement with the ad justing means to separate said fingers. Since the fingers are preferably adjustable upon their carrier, a portion of the lever may be varible in length to compensate for this. A plunger is movable in the carrier, and, upon contact with a relatively fixed member, causes the finger actuating oscillation of the lever during the travel of the carrier. A latch for the plunger maintains the fingers temporarily separated, and maybe released by its engagement with a member which may be fixed in different positions relatively to I said latch. y

In the accompanying'drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a particular embodiment of my invention; I

Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line II--.II of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3, a similar view on' the line III-III of Fig.1, looking in a direction opposite to that of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a like view on the line IV-IV of Fig. I; and

Fig. 5, a sectional detail on Fig. 1.

At It! appears a frame upon which is mounted thenailing die l2 of a, heeling machine. Reciprocatory drivers l4 operate in passages in the the line ,v-vgof die to insert the nails, which they carry, through a lower lift L of such yieldable materialas rubber and a leather or like base H, into the heel-seat of a shoe S supported upon a jack I6. The lift and base are presented to the nailingmechanism by a double holder, of the character of that disclosed in the patent previously reierred to, and which need only be described briefly. A carrier I8 is guided for horizontal travel above the die I2 by means including a rod 20, fixed at one extremity to the frame I0 and at the other-to a braket 22 projecting from said frame. In the lower portion of the holder, forms or rings 24 may be mounted interchangeably in ways, the opening in each ring being of the proper shape to receive and hold against expansion a particular size of lift. The base, applied above the lift in the ring, is grasped between opposite fingers 26, 26, respectively pivoted at 28, 28 upon a support 29, and geared together at 21. This support is mounted for vertical tilting adjustment upon a slide variable in position from front to rear of the carrier I8. The fingers are urged toward each other to assume their closed relation by an expansion-spring 32, interposed between a projection 34 from one of the fingers and a bracket 36 secured to the support 29. The spring surrounds a rod 38 pivoted to the projection 34 and passing through an opening in the bracket 36. A nut 40, threaded upon the rear end of the rod, limits adjustably its forward movement under the influence of the spring, and, therefore, the normal separation of the fingers.

These fingers 26 are hooked at their extremities,

sary to particularly consider these adjustments.

The holder, consisting of the carrier with the liftand base-retaining means, is movable upon its supports between an active position over the die I2, as illustrated in Fig. 1, to the left of the machine to free the die for the reception of the attaching nails. This movement is effected by contact with an arm connected with a latch 52, which releasably retains the holder in operating position, of the usual oscillatory arm 54, when this is swung inwardly by the operator to transfer a load of nails supplied to it to the die.

Considering now the elements peculiar to this invention, there is attached to the carrier I8 a bracket 60, in which is guided for vertical movement an actuating plunger 02. Pivoted to this plunger at 64 is a horizontally extending rod 66, which, in effect, furnishes one arm of a bellcrank-lever. The other arm 68 of the lever projects upwardly from a' horizontal spindle I0, rotatable in a downward extension 12 of the bracket 36 and having a generally horizontal portion I4, through a bore in which the rod 66 is free to shift longitudinally. This variation in the length of the lever-arm compensates for the adjustment of the slide 30 upon the carrier I3 and the consequent relative movement between the bracekts 36 and The upper extremity of the arm 68 is forked to receive the rod 38 and 'lies in contact with the bracket 36, being heldagainst it by the adjusting nut 40 under the influence of the spring 32. When the baseand lift-holders are caused to travel to the left, upon the actuation of the loader-arm 54 by the operator, a roll I6 upon the bottom of the plunger 62 engages an upwardly and outwardly inclined cam-surface I8 upon a controlling member 80, mounted upon the frame of the die. This occurs immediately after the holder leaves its normal position. The cam elevates the plunger, rocking the bell-crank-lever 66, 68 anticlockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3. The lever-arm 68 is thereby forced against the adjusting nut 40, drawing the rod 38 to the left, loading the spring 32 and opening the fingers 26, ready for the insertion of the heel-base. The member 80 is pivoted at IT, with its surface I8 held normally in the path of the roll 16 by a leaf-spring I9 secured to the frame. A pin 3|, rising from the frame into an arcuate slotv in the member, limits. the pivotal movement in an anticlockwise direction (Fig. I). This causes the cam-surface to act upon the plunger during travel of the holder away from the nailing die, while the member yields to avoid interference with the plunger during the return movement.

Pivoted upon the outer end of the bracket 60, adjacent to the plunger 62, is a latch 82, the upper end of which is urged by an expansionspring 84 interposed between it and the bracket against a horizontal extension 86 from the plunger. As the plunger is lifted by the cam, the latch passes beneath the extension to temporarily retain the plunger raised and the fingers 26 separated. Now, as the holder travels in either direction, the operator may insert a base between the fingers. Said fingers are released to grasp the base for the attaching operation by the action of tripping means. Parallel to the guide-rod 20, and fixed in projections from the bracket 22, is a rod 90, along which a collar 92 may be clamped at any chosen point by a setscrew 94. From the outer side of the collar is an extension 96, upon which is pivoted for horizontal oscillation an arm 98. The arm is held yieldably in a normal position against the collar by a leaf-spring I00, secured to the extension and resting against the arm. Upon the upper side of the arm is a cam-surface I02 inclined downwardly and outwardly. Projecting rearwardly from the latch 82 is a. horizontal pin I04, and mounted for vertical reciprocation in the bracket 60, in a position below the pin when the fingers 26 are latched open, is a tripping plunger I 06, having at its upper extremity a conical surface I08. The lower end of the plunger I06 is preferably rounded at IIO. In the movement of the holder to the left, or away from the nailing die, the end IIO of the plunger I06 strikes the tripping arm 98 and forces it aside, the spring I06 yielding. In the return of the holder, the plunger-end IIO engages the surface I02 of the arm 98, now held against yield. This surface cams up the plunger, the surface I08 of which strikes the latch-pin I04. The latch is thereby shifted from beneath the extension 86 of the actuating plunger 62, freeing this, so the spring 32 may close the fingers upon the applied base. The plunger is also lowered by the spring, and when it reaches the controling member 80, forces this idly aside against the spring I9.

As to the operation of the holder, it may be said that, with the jack I6 in its outer raised position, the operator will insert a tread-section or lift L-in the ring 24, and with his right hand swing in the arm 54, its block carrying a load of nails to deliver to the passages in the die I2. The loader-arm, engaging the arm 50, first unlatches the holder at 52, and then forces said holder away from the die along the guide-rod 20 to a distance suflicient to allow the nails to drop from the loader-block into the die-passages. Early in the travel of the holder, the relatively fixed cam 18 lifts the actuating plunger 62 and, through the bell-crank-lever 66, 68 and holder-rod 38, separates the fingers 26, which are at once latched open by the member 82 against the force of the now loaded spring 32. A base-section H of the heel, which the operator has taken in his left hand, may, at any time in the further advance of the holder or the return to its active or attaching position, be placed upon the previously applied lift, the rear fork 44 being slightly pressed back against its spring 46. Then the lift is freed to be urged by the spring against the hooks 42 of the fingers 26. According to the preference of the operator as to the time of insertion of the base, the tripping arm 98 will have been set at such a position along the rod 90, that its surface I02 will be effective to lift the plunger H16 just as the operators hand frees the base. The actuating plunger 62 is thereby released, and the spring 32 causes the fingers to grasp the base and restores the plunger 62 to its initial lowered position. Under these conditions, said basev is at once correctly located by the fingers and held against displacement during the completion of its travel and the attaching operation. It will be seen that this means for opening and closing of the fingers calls for no attention or direct effort on the part of the operator, and that it is accomplished without alteration of or interference with the action of any part of the holder with which it is combined.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, mechanism for transferring nails to the driving mechanism, a holder having devices by which plural heel-sections are arranged for presentation one above another to the nailing mechanism for simultaneous attachment, one of said devices being provided with movable members between which a heel-section is grasped, and means movable under the influence of an element of the machine for separating the grasping members from each other.

2. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, mechanism for transferring nails'to the driving mechanism, a holder having devices by which plural heel-sections are arranged for presentation one above another to the nailing mechanism for simultaneous attachment, one of said' devices being provided with 'movable members between which a heel-section is grasped, and means movable under the influence of one of the mechanisms acting upon nails for separating the grasping members from each other.

3. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, mechanism for transferring nails to the driving mechanism, a holder having devices by which plural heel-sections are arranged for presentation one above another to the nailing mechanism for simutaneous attachment, one of said devices being provided with movable members between which a heel-section is grasped,

means for separating the grasping members for the reception of a heel-section, means for latching the grasping members in their separated relation, and means for releasing the grasping members to close upon an applied heel-section.

4. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, mechanism for transferring nails to the driving mechanism, a movable holder provided with members for grasping a heel to be nailed, and means movable under the influence of the transferring mechanism for separating the grasping members.

5. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, mechanism for transferring nails to the driving mechanism, a movable holder provided with members for grasping a heel to be nailed, means movable under the influence of the transferring mechanism for separating the grasping members, and means acting in the movement of the holder for closing the fingers.

6. In a heel-attaching machine, nail-driving mechanism, mechanism for transferring nails to the driving mechanism, a movable holder provided with members for grasping a heel to be nailed, means movable under the influence of the transferring mechanism for separatingthe grasping members, means movable with the holder for latching the grasping members in their separated relation, and means into engagement with which the latching means is moved to release the grasping members.

7. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a heel-holder having a carrier with heel-grasping ringers movable into and out of co-operation with the die, an actuating member movable upon the carrier, alever fulcrumed upon the carrier and engaged by the actuating member, a connecting member between the lever and fingers, and a relatively fixed member by which the actuating member is moved in the travel of the carrier.

8. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a heel-holder having a carrier with heel-grasping fingers pivoted thereon and movable into and out of co-operation with the die, an actuating member movable upon the carrier, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier and engaged by the actuating member, a connecting member between the lever and fingers, a relatively fixed member by which the actuating member is moved in the travel of the carrier to separate the fingers, a latch mounted upon the carrier and engaging theactuating member to temporarily maintain the separation of the fingers, and a member fixed relatively to the carrier and engaging the latch to release the fingers.

9. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a heel-holder having a carrier with heel-grasping fingers pivoted thereon and movable into and out of co-operation with th die, an actuating member movable upon the carrier, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier and engaged by the actuating member, a connecting member between the lever and fingers, a relatively fixed member by which the actuating member is moved in the travel of the carrier to separate the fingers, a latch mounted upon the carrier and engaging the actuating member to temporarily maintain the separation of the fingers, a member fixed relatively to the carrier and engaging the latch to release the fingers, and means arranged to fix the releasing member in position to act upon the latch at different times in the travel of the carrier.

10. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a heel-holder having a carrier with heel-grasping fingers movable into and out of co-operation with the die, means acting upon the fingers to adjust their normal separation, and means engaging the adjusting means to separate the fingers.

11. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a heel-holder having a carrier with heel -grasping fingers movable into and out of co-operation with the die, means acting upon the fingers to urge them normally toward their grasping position and to adjust their normal separation, and means engaging the urging and adjusting means to separate the fingers.

12. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a loader movable to deliver nails to the die, a carrier normally situated above the die and movable therefrom by the loader, a holder for a tread-section of a heel mounted upon the carrier, a pair of fingers pivoted upon the carrier above the holder to grasp a base-section of a heel, a spring acting to close the fingers, and means movable under the influence of an element of the machine for loading the spring.

carrier normally situated above the die and movable therefrom by the loader, a holder for a tread-section of a heel mounted upon the carrier, a pair of fingers pivoted upon the carrier above the holder to grasp a base-section of a heel, a spring acting to close the fingers, means movable under the influence of an element of the machine for loading the spring, a latch for retaining the fingers open against the force of the loaded spring, and means for tripping the latch.

14. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a loader movable to deliver nails to the die, a carrier normally situated above the die and movable therefrom by the loader, a holder for a tread-section of a heel mounted upon the carrier, a pair of fingers pivoted upon the carrier above the holder to grasp a base-section of a heel, a spring acting to close the fingers, a rod connected to the fingers, adjusting means arranged to vary the extent of movement of the rod under the influence of the spring, and means movable in engagement with the adjusting means to separate the fingers.

15. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a loader movable to deliver nails to the die, a carrier normally situated above the die and movable therefrom by the loader, a holder for a tread-section of a heel mounted upon the carrier, a pair of fingers pivoted upon the carrier above the holder to grasp a base-section of a heel, a spring acting to close the fingers, a rod connected to the fingers, a member variable in position upon the rod to limit its movement under the influence of the spring, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier and engaging the limiting member, and means acting in the movement of the carrier to oscillate the lever.

16. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a loader movable to deliver nails to the die, a carrier normally situated above the die and movable therefrom by the loader, a holder for a tread-section of a heel mounted upon the carrier, a pair of fingers pivoted upon the carrier above the holder to grasp a base-section of a heel, a spring acting to close the fingers, a rod connected to the fingers, a member variable in position upon the rod to limit its movement under the influence of the spring, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier and having relatively movable arms, one of which engages the limiting member, and a member fixed relatively to the carrier and acting upon the other arm of the lever.

17. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die,

a loader movable to deliver nails to the die, a

carrier normally situated above the die and movable therefrom by the loader, a holder for a tread-section of a heel mounted upon the carrier, a pair of fingers pivoted upon the carrier above the holder to grasp a base-section of a heel, a spring acting to close the fingers, a rod connected to the fingers, a member variable in position upon the rod to limit its movement under the influence of the spring, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier, a plunger movable in the carrier in contact with the lever, and a member fixed relatively to the carrier and acting upon the plunger.

18. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a loader movable to deliver nails to the die, a carrier normally situated above the die and movable therefrom by the loader, a holder for a tread-section of a heel mounted upon the carrier, a pair of fingers pivoted upon the carrier above the holder to grasp a base-section of a heel, a spring acting to close the fingers, a rod connected to the fingers, a member variable in position upon the rod to limit its movement under the influence of the spring, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier, a plunger movable in the carrier in contact with the lever, a member fixed relatively to the carrier and acting upon the plunger, a latch for the plunger movable upon the carrier, and a member arranged to be fixed in difierent positions relatively to the carrier for releasing the latch.

19. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a heel-holder having a carrier with heel-grasping fingers and movable into and out of co-operation with the die, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier to move therewith and being connected to the fingers, and means for oscillating the lever.

20. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a heel-holder having a carrier with heel-grasping fingers movable into and out of co-operation with the die, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier and connected to the fingers, means for oscillating the lever to separate the fingers, and a latch mounted upon the carrier and acting upon the fingers to temporarily maintain their separation.

21. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a heel-holder having a carrier with heel-grasping fingers adjustable in position upon the carrier and movable into and out of co-operation with the die, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier and connected to the fingers, said lever having a portion variable in length to compensate for the adjustment of the fingers, and means for oscillating the lever.

22. In a heel-attaching machine, a nailing die, a heel-holder having a carrier with heel-grasping fingers adjustable in position upon the carrier and movable into and out of co-operation with the die, a lever fulcrumed upon the carrier and connected to the fingers, said lever having one arm movable upon another of its arms during the adjustment of the fingers, and means for oscillating the lever.

JOHN T. LANCASTER. 

